Improvement in railway-gates



D. H. BUCHER.

RAILWAY GATE. I No. 180,540, Patented Aug'. 1, :1876

gzzfi: 1 M M N. Fl'ERS. PHOT-LIYHOGRAPNER WAS INGTON D C UNITED STATES DAVID E. BUOHER,

IMPROVEMENT IN OF WOOSTER, OHIO.

RAILWAY-GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 180,540, dated August 1, 1876; application filed February 29, 1876. I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID H. BUCHER, of Wooster, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Gates, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is an automatic railway-gate that will be depressed below the level of the track by the wheels of the approaching train pressing upon pivoted bars arranged parallel with, and when depressed forming part of, the rails, and that will be returned to its elevated position by a spring after the pressure ofthe wheels has been removed from the levers, the gate being adapted to slide vertically between grooved posts set upon opposite sides of the track, and held in i ts elevated position by cords passing over grooved pulleys journaled in the tops of these posts. These cords are stretched from the gate to a spring-bar which extends through vertical slots in the lower parts of the posts, the bar being held down by spring-tension.

In the drawing, Figure l is a central longitndinal vertical section of a portion of a railway-track, showing the'gate in its elevated position. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the line .29.

A are the grooved and slotted posts. B are grooved pulleys; G, the gate; 1), the spring-bar, and g twisted-wire cords. I is a hollow pulley, turning upon a stationary jour-- which are cut away to leave astraight face,

against which the levers Ev rest when depressed, thus supplying the portion of the rail so cut away. These levers are grooved upon the upper side to receive the flanges of the car-wheels, and are preferably made with a slight curve, to insure the depression of the gate below the level of "the track; but the rail may be divided longitudinally, so thata portion of it may form these levers. F are hinged arms, one end of each being hinged to the levers E. The other ends are knuckle-jointed together in pairs.

The rod (1, to which the gate is secured, is the pin for both pairs of hinges. This rod is long enough to pass into the grooves in both posts, so as to assist in steadying the movements of the gate. J are angle-iron crossbraces, bolted to the upright posts for the purpose of securing them firmly together, and

cross-sleepers rest.

The operation is as follows: As the trainpressing upon the levers E, depress them below the level of the rails, and thus carry the gate, which is secured to the rod a, below the level of the track, a pit being dug across the track to receive it and the devices that return it to its elevated position. After the train has passed, and the pressure of the wheels is removed from the bars E the gate is returned to its elevated position by the spring contained in the wheel I uncoiling, and drawing the bar 1) down. v

I have described what I believe to be the best form of embodying my invention; but this form may be modified without departing from its principle. Its main features are a gate adapted to slide vertically in grooved posts, to be depressed by the wheels of the train operating upon levers connected by links with the gates, and arranged parallel with the rails, and to be returned by a spring to its elevated position after the train has passed.

In place of the wheel I and its coiled spring any of the well-known springs may be used; or the bar I) may be weighted to accomplish the same result; or the bar b and all the pulleys and cords may be dispensed with, and the gate returned by a spring acting directly upon it.

I claim 1. In combination with the gate, held in its also to support the stringers upon which the approaches, the flanges of the car-wheels,

elevated position and adapted to slide verti- I, bar I), pulley B, and cords g and h, for eally, as described, the hinged levers parallel returning the gate to its elevated position, as with the rails,,the hinged arms, one end hinged specified.

to said levers,the opposite ends hinged to the DAVID BUOHER. cross rod of the gate, the parts being con- Witnesses: strneted to operate as specified. JOHN H. SILVER,

2. The combination of the spring-pulley JOHN R. MCKINNEY. 

